Meter box dispute

jake_tortoise

Hi my partner and I have been in a new build for 2 years now and have had issue with our neighbours due to our gas and electricity meter box positioning, it is on our wall on our detached house but unfortunately we have to step slightly on to our neighbours land to access it. Our neighbours have been trying to fight us on getting it moved and telling us where to move it to, they have gone down the route of getting GTC involved to which we told them we won’t be paying to get it moved, we also don’t want it in our garage for safety reasons as we will eventually be converting it. GTC have agreed that it is an unnecessary cost and that the only place to put it is on the other side of the house meaning ripping the house apart. Another year on and they are still trying, they have contacted GTC again and they are coming to investigate again! (Bare in mind not once have we needed to acces our Meter boxes) 
can anyone advice me on what actions I can take and does anyone know if they can take legal action or force us to move it?
thanks 

DE_612183

The meters actually belong to the energy supply company not you.

I presume you have a cut-off inside your house - so why would you need to access the meter?

Have your neighbours said "Why?" they want it moved?

Presume it's still on your land - do they want some sort of extension built that would be stopped by the positioning of the box?

I have seen cases where the box is reversed ( ie it's accessed from inside the house rather than the outside but stays in the same place ).

 

Scot_39

Dont the builders have to take into account access to meters as part of the building regs when locating them ? 

Even with smart meters these can go wrong and suppliers still afaik have a legal duty to periodically inspect meters (just tge old iirc 2 years has been removed so no fixed timescale) .

What about DNO or GDO access and leaways for pipes / cables - are those in place or is builder again perhaps at fault in some way..

Could they the builders or local distributors be held responsible to pay and make good walls etc if screwed up in some way.

Have you actually checked your actual boundaries and not just accepted the  neighbours word. Via own solicitor or surveyor.  

Boundaries are often misunderstood and others sadly really do take liberties when erecting buildings and fences.

And again seek advice about any clearances you can legally insist on for access to your walls for say maintenance access hnder ang national or local building regs.  That might block any future plans they have in mind anyway.

And if they are planning on blocking access to meter cabinets, what about any future maintenance on walls or roof work / guttering etc.  Think how much clearance say for a ladder or temporary scaffolding or a platform lift.

Do you have gas - your flue could become illegally positioned vs an extension wall or worse door / window iirc etc.



It seems poor if you have to go  cap in hand to a neighbour for basic work/ access.

But then some builders do have a nasty habit of squeezing houses into small plots these days.

Scot_39

Might this be better in another forum section like say 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/house-buying-renting-selling

As its more of a legal issue than an energy issue and their are threads on boundary, construction and neighbour dispute type issues in that section?

You could ask a forum administrator to move. Or one of us could.

Use the report button on your first post iirc.

Scroll,down to select needs moving,...

jake_tortoise

I mean yea I appreciate they arnt technically our property but they are on our property and our neighbours expect us to pay to get them moved, even thought it wasn’t Down to us putting them there, it was the developer.
we have no reason to access it other than to ready the meter readings but we have a smart reader that does that. 

They are people that continue to make life difficult for people. They have given us no reason as to why they want them moved other than to put a fence there which they can’t technically do unless they don’t put it against our boundary anyway. 

You can’t have a meter box inside houses anymore, and eventually our garage will be converted into a room so we can’t put it in there, it would have to go to the other side of the house.

Robin9

If it's practical to move the meter boxes then you are talking a lot of money -  perhaps a £1000 each  .-  even more if you have to move consumer units.  

And your neighbour would need to give  access to the utility companies to dig up their garden.   The Utilities would have been given permission by the developer under a Builders Agreement to lay , inspect and maintain.

Ride it out -  they'll move on one day.

jake_tortoise

Our deeds say we have to give 24 hours notice if we require access, more than £1000 if they have to redo the whole of the bottom of the house due to pipe work etc 
I really hope they do give up but they are very persistent 

sheenas

We had a new build and the builders put the meter in the wrong place. They had to move the feed wire to the house which involved digging up the driveway. The meter needed moving and all the wiring. Thankfully this was all done prior to us moving in. I would say 4k-5k. 

Further the meter and meter boxes are not your as other have said. I would leave it in their ball court as effectively it’s nothing to do with you. If they ask simple say in not legally your equipment to move and its on your property with your consent. Best not to engage further on the subject. You can remote read using your smart meter display.

Robin9

Although the meters are the responsibility of the suppliers -  the meter boxes themselves are yours.

imeach

Some people!!
Im presuming that as normal, your ECV is in the meter box, so should you have a gas escape, following your deeds, you are supposed to give 24 hours notice!!
Neighbours from hell

Robin9

imeach said:

Some people!!
Im presuming that as normal, your ECV is in the meter box, so should you have a gas escape, following your deeds, you are supposed to give 24 hours notice!!
Neighbours from hell

Agreed - when you live on a housing estate/block of flats etc life means getting on with your neighbours  with give and take. Things happen - people park in considerately, bins left in the wrong place.  You never know when you might need their help